Ralph Peterson Jr. (May 20, 1962 – March 1, 2021) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

drummer, composer, teacher, and bandleader.

Early life

Peterson's father, Ralph Peterson, Sr., was the first black police chief and first black mayor of

Pleasantville, New Jersey Pleasantville is a city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 20,629, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 380 (+1.9%) from the 2010 census count o ...

, where Peterson was raised. Four of Peterson's uncles and his grandfather were drummers, and Peterson himself began on percussion at age three. Peterson played trumpet at Pleasantville High School and worked locally in

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

groups. He applied to

Livingston College Livingston College was one of the residential colleges that comprised Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey's undergraduate liberal arts programs from 1969 to 2007. It was located on Livingston Campus (originally Kilmer) in Piscataway ...

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

to study drums, but he failed the percussion entrance exam and enrolled as a trumpeter instead, graduating in 1984.

Career

In 1983, he joined

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

as the group's second drummer. Chosen by Blakey himself to fill the drum chair, Peterson remained with Blakey until the jazz legend’s 1990 death. He dedicated a 1994 Ralph Peterson Quintet album, ''Art'', to the repertoire of his mentor. He worked with

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for ''B ...

and

Donald Harrison Donald Harrison Jr. (born June 23, 1960) is an American jazz saxophonist and the Big Chief of The Congo Square Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Berklee College of M ...

in 1984, and with Walter Davis (1985, 1989),

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

(1985), Out of the Blue (1985–1988),

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

(1986), David Murray,

Craig Harris Craig S. Harris (born September 10, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist, who started working with Sun Ra in 1976. He also has worked with Abdullah Ibrahim, David Murray (saxophonist), David Murray, Lester Bowie, Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers (jazz ...

(1987),

James Spaulding James Ralph Spaulding Jr. (was born July 30, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United states, Spaulding attended the Chicago Cosmopolitan School of Music. Between 1957 and 1961, he was a member of ...

(1988),

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

(1989),

Jon Faddis Jon Faddis (born July 24, 1953) is an American jazz trumpet player, conductor, composer, and educator, renowned for both his playing and for his expertise in the field of music education. Upon his first appearance on the scene, he became known ...

(1989),

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played alto s ...

Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...

(1989), and

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

(with the

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

ghost band). During the 1990s, Peterson played as a sideman with

Jack Walrath Jack Arthur Walrath (born May 5, 1946) is an American post-bop jazz trumpeter and musical arranger known for his work with Ray Charles, Gary Peacock, Charles Mingus, and Glenn Ferris, among others. Biography Walrath was born in Stuart, Florida. ...

Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, ...

, Charles Lloyd,

Kip Hanrahan Kip Hanrahan (born December 9, 1954) is an American jazz music impresario, record producer and percussionist. Personal life Hanrahan was born in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in the Bronx to an Irish-Jewish family. His father left when he was 6 m ...

(1992), Bheki Mseleku,

Courtney Pine Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964) is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

George Colligan George Colligan (born December 29, 1969) is an American jazz pianist, organist, drummer, trumpeter, educator, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Colligan was born in New Jersey and raised in Columbia, Maryland. He attended the P ...

Stanley Cowell Stanley Cowell (May 5, 1941 – December 17, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and co-founder of the Strata-East Records label. Early life Cowell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He began playing the piano around the age of four, and became intereste ...

Mark Shim Mark Shim (born November 21, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica) is a jazz tenor saxophonist. History Shim's family moved from Kingston to Canada when he was eight years old, and then settled in Richmond, Virginia, five years later. He started on sax ...

, and

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

. He began recording as a leader in 1988, with a quintet (Terence Blanchard, Steve Wilson,

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh. Early life and education Allen was born in Pontiac, Michigan ...

, and

Phil Bowler Phillip Charles Bowler (born March 2, 1948, New York City) is an American jazz double-bassist and radio Host (radio), host. Career Bowler attended the University of Hartford, where he received a bachelor's degree in music in 1972. He played wit ...

) on ''V'' and ''Volition''. He also worked with Allen and Bowler as a trio in "Triangular"; Essiet Essiet replaced Bowler for the 1988 ''Triangular'' recording. In 1989 he recorded in the quartet format as "The Fo'tet" with

Don Byron Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer. Biography His moth ...

, Steve Wilson (later Bobby Franchesini), Melissa Slocum (later Belden Bullock), and Bryan Carrott. After living in Canada for some time, he returned to Philadelphia, where he worked again with "The Fo'tet,” and recorded as ''Triangular 2'' with Slocum and

Uri Caine Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956) is an American classical music, classical and jazz pianist and composer from Philadelphia. Biography Early years Caine was born on June 8, 1956, in Philadelphia, to Burton Caine (1928–2023), a professor at Temple ...

. He also led the group "Hip Pocket,” with whom he played trumpet. On May 21, 2021, Peterson’s Onyx Productions released Raise Up Off Me, Peterson’s final full-length album. Comprising five Peterson originals and compositions by Zaccai Curtis,

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. A pioneer in the development of bebop and its associated contributions to jazz theory,Grove Powell's application of complex phrasing to ...

James Williams (musician) James Williams (March 8, 1951 – July 20, 2004) was an American jazz pianist. Early life James Williams was born on March 8, 1951, in Memphis, Tennessee. He began piano studies at age 13 and was subsequently an organist at Eastern Star Baptis ...

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, R&B singer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. At the 25th Annual Grammy Awards, her 1982 single, "Forget Me Nots", received a no ...

, and

John Hicks Sir John Richard Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economics ...

, the album was hailed as Peterson’s “closing statement.” In the liner notes,

Orrin Evans Orrin Evans (born 28 March 1975) is an American jazz pianist. Evans was born in Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia.Lutz, Phillip. "Orrin Evans The Instigator." ''Downbeat'' 81.11 (2014): 42-45. Print. He attended ...

tied Peterson’s music to his life:

If you knew Ralph Peterson, you knew whenever he titled a song or album, it directly correlated to something going on in his life. ''Art'' (1994, Blue Note) was Ralph’s tribute to his mentor, Art Blakey, who had just passed. ''Reclamation Project'' (1995, Evidence) was his way of telling us he was reclaiming his life and career. “The Trials of Trust and Treachery” off of ''Subliminal Seduction'' (2002, Criss Cross) was his homage to the difficulty but importance of long-term relationships. ''While Raise Up Off Me c''an easily be associated with 2020, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the pandemic, the message I hear is Ralph’s fight to LIVE!

Technique

Peterson’s style was described as “passionate precision,” fusing the swing and energy of a hurricane with consistent and grounded time.Colligan, George
"The Ralph Peterson Interview."
/ref> Others described his play as having “agile dynamism, lunging propulsion, and risk with triumph. He was also known for “long, cyclical polyrhythms.” Peterson believed that music programs “pushing kids to have their own style” was problematic; He claimed not to have a style of his own; “My style is copying the style of the people I love and the way I combine it and that’s nothing more.” Though he conceded that he did have an identifiable style based on his subjective choices in adapting others’ styles, he did not believe that one should self-consciously try to develop their own style, but rather let that style naturally emerge as a synthesis of their influences and experiences.

Influences and Teaching Philosophy

Coming to the fore in the 1980s as a member of the Young Lions, a cohort of musicians tied to the neo-bop movement, Peterson acknowledged the influence of Art Blakey. Dubbed Blakey’s protégé, torchbearer, and “anointed heir,” Peterson emulated elements of Blakey’s playing style, including his snare drum press-roll crescendo, confident that this didn’t limit his own artistic vision. Peterson also acknowledged having apprenticed under

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

, singer

and pianist Walter Davis Jr."In Memoriam: Ralph Peterson, Jr.
/ref> He credited Davis, who gave him his first gig in New York, with instilling in him the importance of brushwork. Peterson praised

Alan Dawson Alan Dawson (July 14, 1929 – February 23, 1996) was an American jazz drummer and percussion teacher based in Boston. Biography Dawson was born in Marietta, Pennsylvania and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Serving in the U.S. Army durin ...

’s teaching and developed the veteran drummer’s Rudiment Ritual using the principles of three part-writing to incorporate parallel, contrary, and oblique motion. As a Berklee instructor, Peterson emphasized the importance of customizing his instruction to each student, making adjustments for those who had a stronger work ethic or could more easily absorb information; he refused to hold a student back “based on a pre-described formula.” Peterson encouraged his students to “learn tunes” and not to be dependent on the

Real Book ''The Real Book'' is a compilation of lead sheets for jazz standards. It was created in the mid-1970s by two students at the Berklee College of Music. In its original form, it was an illegal publication made at local copy shops. It quickly bec ...

, a popular collection of lead sheets, which he claimed was “60 percent wrong,” and that reliance on the book would limit students’ learning of application. Just using the book, he claimed, wouldn’t teach the syntax and language of the music; this could only be learned by listening to recordings. By the same token, one could learn the melody from the Real Book, but to hear how it was “most creatively improvised on,” one would need to listen to records. To provide students with this “basic language,” Peterson created a course entitled Jazz Drum Set Repertoire which required students to learn 50 songs in 15 weeks. Though some said that this was asking too much of students, Peterson insisted that it was not. “I usually disseminate five tunes a week. Five tunes a week is not a lot. That's one tune a day with two days off!” This was part of Peterson’s imperative to “internalize” the music, so that students could be ready to perform or record a composition with only 24 hours’ notice:

The practical application of learning tunes quickly is like so: if I get a call today- it's Thursday- for recording on Saturday... the best a band leader can do is next day mail us the music. Or I suppose with email you could get the music by tonight. Right? Fine. We can see and hear the music tonight. Right? But the best we have is 24 hours to learn the music. And you need to be ready to record on Saturday!

Ultimately, Peterson taught a holistic conception of musicianship, involving “hearing and playing beyond the drum set. Understanding form, melody, harmony, and phrasing all have a profound effect on what a drummer plays.” Peterson’s Berklee students included

Ari Hoenig Ari Hoenig (born November 13, 1973) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and educator. Educational materials Hoenig has taught and is on the faculty at New York University and The New School in New York. He gives clinics and lectures at music ...

, E.J Strickland,

Tyshawn Sorey Tyshawn Sorey (born July 8, 1980) is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and professor of contemporary music. Sorey has received accolades for performances, recordings, and compositions ranging from improvised solo percussion to opera, ...

, Jonathon Blake, Mark Whitfield Jr., Kush Abadey and Justin Faulkner. He also mentored the jazz writer Nate Chinen.Bryant, Greg, and Nate Chinen
"Onward and Upward: Jazz United Remembers Ralph Peterson, Jr."
/ref>

Personal life

Peterson taught at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he started in 2003. In 2010, Peterson started his own Onyx Productions Music Label. In his twenties, Peterson struggled with drug addiction, though after achieving sobriety used his difficulties to “help those coming up behind him, either as a compass point or a cautionary tale.” In addition to his musical work, Peterson ran a Boston

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

studio for many years and was ranked as a fifth dan black belt in 2019. Peterson died at his home in

Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts to be settled by Europeans in 1652, primarily English. Dartmouth ...

, after a six-year battle with cancer on March 1, 2021, at age 58. He was survived by his wife Linea, daughter Sonora Slocum, stepdaughters Saydee and Haylee McQuay, and his spiritual daughter Jazz Robertson."Jazz Buffalo. Prolific Jazz Drummer Ralph Peterson, Jr. Has Died At 58"
/ref>

Discography

As leader

* ''V'' (Blue Note, 1988) * ''Triangular'' (Blue Note, 1989) * ''Volition'' (Blue Note, 1990) * ''Ralph Peterson Presents the Fo'tet'' (Somethin' Else, 1990) * ''Ornettology'' (Somethin' Else, 1991) * ''Art'' (Blue Note, 1993) * ''The Reclamation Project'' (Evidence, 1995) * ''The Fo'tet Plays Monk'' (Evidence, 1997) * ''Back to Stay'' (Sirocco, 1999) * ''Triangular 2'' (Sirocco, 2000) * ''The Art of War'' (Criss Cross, 2001) * ''Subliminal Seduction'' (Criss Cross, 2002) * ''Tests of Time'' (Criss Cross, 2003) * ''The Fo'tet Augmented'' (Criss Cross, 2004) * ''Outer Reaches'' (Onyx, 2010) * ''The Duality Perspective'' (Onyx 2012) * ''Alive at Firehouse 12 Vol. 1'' (Onyx, 2013) * ''Alive at Firehouse 12 Vol. 2: Fo' n Mo'' (Onyx, 2016) * ''Triangular III'' (Onyx, 2016) * ''Dream Deferred'' (Onyx, 2016) * ''I Remember Bu: Alive Vol. 4 @ Scullers'' (Onyx, 2018) * ''Inward Venture: Alive Vol. 5 At The Side Door'' (Onyx 2018) * ''Legacy Alive Vol. 6 at the Side Door'' (Onyx, 2019) * ''Listen Up!'' (Onyx, 2019) * ''Onward & Upward'' (Onyx, 2020) * ''Raise Up Off Me'' (Onyx, 2021)

As sideman

With

* '' Sphere Music'' (Winter & Winter, 2005) * ''

Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and ...

'' (JMT, 1995) * ''

Blue Wail ''Blue Wail'' is an album by pianist Uri Caine that was released on the Winter & Winter label in 1999. Reception In his review for Allmusic, David R. Adler notes that "Caine and company imbue every tune with an extraordinary blues feeling and a ...

'' (Winter & Winter, 1999) * '' The Goldberg Variations'' (Winter & Winter, 2000) With

Wayne Escoffery Wayne Escoffery (born 23 February 1975) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Performing history Since 2000, he has been working in New York City with Carl Allen, Eric Reed, and the Mingus Big Band. Other musicians performed with include Ral ...

* ''Intuition'' (Nagel Heyer, 2004) * ''Live at Smalls'' (SmallsLIVE, 2015) * ''Vortex'' (Sunnyside, 2018) * ''The Humble Warrior'' (Smoke Sessions, 2020) With

* ''Captain Black'' (Criss Cross, 1998) * ''Grown Folk Bizness'' (Criss Cross, 1999) * ''Mother's Touch'' (Posi-Tone, 2014) With David Murray * '' New Life'' (Black Saint, 1987) * '' Lovers'' (DIW, 1988) * '' I Want to Talk About You'' (Black Saint, 1989) * '' Deep River'' (DIW, 1989) * ''

Ballads A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

'' (DIW, 1990) * ''

Spirituals Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with African Americans, which merged varied African cultural influences with the exp ...

'' (DIW, 1990) * ''Hope Scope'' (Black Saint, 1991) * ''

Tenors A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below midd ...

'' (DIW, 1993) With others *

Melissa Aldana Melissa Aldana (born 3 December 1988) is a Chilean tenor saxophone player, who performs both as a soloist and with her band Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio. Life and career Early life and training Aldana was born in Santiago, Chile. She began playi ...

, ''Free Fall'' (Inner Circle Music, 2010) * Pat Bianchi, ''Back Home'' (Doodlin, 2010) *

, ''Discernment'' (Bellaphon, 1986) *

Don Braden Donald Kirk Braden (born November 20, 1963) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist. Career Braden was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 20, 1963, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began playing tenor sax at age 13 and starte ...

, ''Contemporary Standards Ensemble'' (Double-Time, 2000) *

Anthony Branker Anthony Branker (born August 28, 1958) is an American musician and educator of Caribbean descent. He was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and raised in Piscataway, New Jersey, Piscataway and Plainfield, New Jersey. He attended public schools in ...

, ''Spirit Songs'' (Sons of Sound, 2005) *

, '' Tuskegee Experiments'' (Nonesuch, 1992) * Don Byron, ''Music for Six Musicians'' (Nonesuch, 1995) *

, ''Activism'' (SteepleChase, 1996) * George Colligan, ''Ultimatum'' (Criss Cross, 2002) *

, ''Mandara Blossoms'' (SteepleChase, 1996) * Anthony Cox, ''Factor of Faces'' (Minor Music, 1993) * Walter Davis Jr., ''Scorpio Rising'' (SteepleChase, 1989) * Duane Eubanks, ''My Shining Hour'' (TCB, 1999) * Duane Eubanks, ''Second Take'' (TCB, 2001) *

, ''Into the Faddisphere'' (Epic, 1989) *

, ''

Split Second Timing ''Split Second Timing'' is the debut album led by saxophonist Craig Handy which was recorded in 1991 and became the first release on the Arabesque label the following year. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "Tenor saxophonist Cr ...

'' (Arabesque, 1992) * Craig Handy, ''

Introducing Three for All + One Introducing or Introducing... may refer to: Albums * '' Introducing... The Beatles'', 1964 * '' Introducing... Mari Hamada'', 1993 * '' Introducing...Rubén González'', 1997 * '' Introducing ... Talk Talk'', 2003 * '' Introducing...the Best Of'', ...

'' (Arabesque, 1993) *

, ''Exotica'' (American Clave, 1992) *

, ''Diamond in the Rough'' (Novus, 1990) *

, ''Moon Alley'' (Criss Cross, 1986) *

, '' Blackout in the Square Root of Soul'' (JMT, 1988) *

, ''Nascence'' (CBS, 1986) * Sean Jones, ''Eternal Journey'' (Mack Avenue, 2004) * Charles Lloyd, '' Notes from Big Sur'' (ECM, 1992) * Charles Lloyd, ''Quartets'' (ECM, 2013) *

Frank Lowe Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Francisco, where h ...

, ''Soul Folks No More'' (No. 10, 2001) * Carmen Lundy, ''This Is Carmen Lundy'' (Afrasia, 2001) *

, ''

Royal Garden Blues "Royal Garden Blues" is a blues song composed by Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams in 1919. Popularized in jazz by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band,

'' (CBS, 1986) *

Delfeayo Marsalis Delfeayo Marsalis (; born July 28, 1965) is an American jazz trombonist, record producer and educator. Life and career Marsalis was born in New Orleans, the son of Dolores (née Ferdinand) and Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr., a pianist and music pro ...

, ''An Evening with Delfeayo Marsalis Kalamazoo'' (Troubadour Jass, 2017) * Bheki Mseleku, ''Beauty of Sunrise'' (Verve, 1997) *

Jeremy Pelt Jeremy Pelt (born November 4, 1976, in California) is an American jazz trumpeter. Career Pelt studied classical trumpet as a child and focused on jazz after playing in a high school jazz ensemble. He studied at Berklee College of Music. Among th ...

, ''Profile'' (Fresh Sound, 2002) * Jeremy Pelt, ''Insight'' (Criss Cross, 2003) *

Jamaaladeen Tacuma Jamaaladeen Tacuma (born Rudy McDaniel; June 11, 1956) is an American jazz funk avant-garde bassist, composer and producer born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 197 ...

, ''Groove 2000'' (Caramelle, 1998) *

, '' Gotstabe a Better Way!'' (Muse, 1990) *

Michele Rosewoman Michele Rosewoman (born March 19, 1953) is an American jazz pianist who leads the big band New Yor-Uba. She has worked with Baikida Carroll, Julius Hemphill, Julian Priester, Oliver Lake, Billy Bang, Freddie Waits, Rufus Reid, Billy Hart, Reggie ...

, ''Occasion to Rise'' (Somethin' Else, 1991) *

, ''Mind Over Matter'' (Blue Note, 1998) * Bobby Watson, ''Quiet As It's Kept'' (Red Record, 1999)

References

Sources

* Gary W. Kennedy, "Ralph Peterson Jr.". '' Grove Jazz'' online. *

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Life and career Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Beginning in 1974, Yanow was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles and was the jazz e ...

, Ralph Petersonat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

* Giovanni Rusonello (March 7, 2021)
Peterson Jr., Jazz Drummer and Bandleader, Dies at 58".
The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2021. * Jeff Schwachter. "A Musical Homecoming for Ralph Peterson; From Pleasantville to Blakey to Berklee and beyond, Ralph Peterson's life in jazz comes full circle with new album and Father's Day concert in Atlantic City." Archived 2014-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic City Weekly, June 13, 2012. * George Colligan

* Berklee staff
"In Memoriam: Ralph Peterson, Jr."
* Nate Chinen. NPR.org
Peterson Jr., Drummer Who Re-Enlivened Hard Bop, Dead At 58."
* Bill Milkowski
Peterson: 'The Music is Why I'm Here.'"
''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

''. December 13, 2018. * Brian Zimmerman
"Drummer Ralph Peterson Jr., Torchbearer for the Jazz Messengers, Dies at 58."
JAZZIZ Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2021.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Ralph Jr. 1962 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American male musicians American jazz drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians Blue Note Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts Musicians from Atlantic County, New Jersey Out of the Blue (American band) members People from Dartmouth, Massachusetts People from Pleasantville, New Jersey Pleasantville High School (New Jersey) alumni Rutgers University alumni University of the Arts (Philadelphia) faculty Drummers from New Jersey